Makani Golf Club

Amazing design. Lots o

F tough water holes. Could be in Colorado!

Mountain golf at its best, cool breeze, plush surroundings and good vibes!

Every hole was unique. Rolling hills and valleys. Nice greens. Well maintained. Bunched sand was soft. We were following some beginners who didn’t know enough to let us through, so the pace of play was pretty slow. No beverage cart or ranger.

We've played this course many times and this was the first time we came across a person at the front desk who was not friendly or accommodating. We will play here again however, it is not "Golf Now" friendly as the customer service at the course is not good when booked through golf now. We have found all other courses easy to work with when booked through "Golf Now", but not Makani!

Every hole on this terrific layout presents a new strategic challenge. Doglegs, elevation changes, highly contoured greens, challenging bunkers and numerous water hazards make you think before every shot. Hitting the fairway is crucial, because the rough is very thick and very long. The green speed was a bit on the slow side. But they putted very true.

We finished our round in just under four hours. But could have played at least 30 minutes faster if we didn’t have to spend so much time looking for golf balls that were only a few yards off the fairway in the punishing rough. The staff told us that one of the mowers was broken and they had to work hard to keep the fairways mowed. and the rough had gotten out of hand. If it were cut to a reasonable length, 3 inches instead of 6+ inches. the course would be much more playable and enjoyable.

The driving range is very large, but you have to hit from mats rather than turf. Amenities are very limited at the small and sparsely stocked pro shop. The staff was very pleasant and very helpful to us as first-time players at the course

In spite of the brutal rough, we really enjoyed the track, and will definitely play it again when we return to The Big Island.

Happy to play with local who provided course info. Staff friendly. Course in great condition. Fairways on narrow side but fair. Challenging layout for this high handicapper. I was impressed and to date favorite Kona course.

The layout was fine but the rough was too high for the average golfer and the rental clubs were a disgraces.

We were stuck behind a foursome with no one in front of them. A single joined us because the foursome would not let him through even though we told him he can go ahead. On 17, they hit a total of 9 balls off the tee before they gave up. This was with us waiting behind them. There were two other groups stuck behind us. They must have thought they were on the driving range. It took five hours and ten minutes for the round. It was just painful. The management should have monitored the pace of play and done something about. It took away a otherwise good experience on a great course.

This course is one of my favorites on the Big Island. Pace of play was very good. I completed my round in about three hours. Fairways and green were in great shape and the rough was penal as it should be. That said probably could be mowed an inch or so lower. It would further speed pace of play which is very important in todays golfing world.

This course will definitely be one of my choices when I return to Hawaii.

P.S. The gentleman from Louisiana serving as the starter was great.

The course is in excellent condition overall. A few brown spots. There were no drink cart , so bring your own water. There was no marshal around. Our round took just over 5 hours which I think is ridiculous given the course was not busy. The foursome, two groups ahead could not keep up with a five-some in front of us. The people tee off an hour after us caught up with us on 14.

The course is very challenging with trees, elevation changes, and water along the fairways and greens. Holes 17 and 18 mirror holes 17 and 4 at TPC Sawgrass on a smaller scale.

There were goats, chickens, turkeys, and geese on the course.

I arrived about 90 minutes early, checked in, hit balls and teed off about an hour before my starting time (this allowed me to travel to Hilo afterwards). Course knowledge is key. The fairways and greens were in great shape probably due to the amount of rain the course gets. Bring rain gear and an umbrella. For me, it was a light rain for only four holes.

I cannot wait to get back to the big island to play it again. I'll definitely play it differently next time.